1. Prequel Season

Close on the heels of Sony’s God of War prequel, is Microsoft’s very own prequel to their heavy hitter Gears of War, entitled Judgement. Coincidence or not, one thing is clear that no franchise is left unmilked in the great gaming houses. However, is Judgement worthy of carrying the Gears of War dogtags, or is it just fodder to keep the grinders going?

2. Gears of War

The original Gears of War trilogy was epic, and, it was made by veteran gamegurus Epic and published by Microsoft, only available on the Xbox 360, and later the PC. A third person action shooter, the game follows veteran soldier Marcus Fenix and his comrades in a desperate fight against an enemy known as the Locust. Selling over three million copies in 2006, it’s currently the 5th best selling Xbox 360 game of all time.

3. The Story

Before Marcus Fenix, the protagonist of the original trilogy was locked up as a prisoner of war, before he was let out to fight the locust, the story had to start somewhere. Judgement follows Damon Baird and Augustus Cole, who would move up to become a key member in Marcus’s team. The game opens as Kilo Squad, the squad Baird and Cole are part of are in front of the military tribunal on trial, as they recount from their perspectives the events that led upto this. The prequel in this way covers the ill fated Emergence Day, where humanity first encountered the evil Locust.

4. Continuation of The Story

While the original trilogy was fresh, visceral and emotional at times. Where you would grow with the characters, laugh at their trash talk and banter, fight with them and share in their pains. Judgement’s story just feels pale in comparison. Sure, being a prequel it focusses on a younger more rebellious narrative, but eventually ends up feeling hollow. Though fans of the original who want more of their favourite characters would be pretty intrigued to know where their characters came from and how they came to be.

5. The Game

All the mechanics that make up a Gears of War are all there. From the third person shooter action, to the innovative cover system that after Gears of War became a norm. You don’t fight alone but are assisted by the other members of Kilo squad, of which are Baird, Cole and newcomers Sofia and Paduk. So in addition to providing extra firepower they revive you while you are down and you can swap weapons with them at any time. Yes, you can still gruesomely chainsaw enemies with your Lancer, still as much fun.

6. Waves of Enemies

While the story chugs you along, and you encounter the baddy General Karn, things start getting stretched from there. You’re thrown into encounter after encounter, as the game sends overwhelming waves and waves of enemies at you. Again, which can get boring pretty fast. Even though the encounters keep forcing you on your toes, but it just feels repetitive sometimes. Somewhat arcadey, as kills are graded and you’re awarded points. Thankfully though, excellent level design saves the day.

7. Aftermath

Here’s something interesting though. Through the campaign you get special missions called Declassified missions where you are given a series of challenges. Which you have to complete with specific enemies against some difficult odds. Like lots of enemies or low visibility. However, once you get the required number of stars you can unlock a special bonus campaign called Aftermath. Spread across five acts, this campaign shows you what happens after Gears of War 3. Which alone is one of the best features of Judgement. While you will have to work pretty hard for it, its worth it. Aftermath feels like the good old Gears of War through and through.

8. Graphics

Gears of War games have always been the perfect showcases for the gorgeous Unreal Engine. Even at the end of the lifecycle of the Xbox 360, Judgement shows the world there’s still lots of fight left in the console. Huge set pieces of ruination are rendered in stunning detail, right up to the chunky character designs of the Gears soldiers themselves. From explosions to the camera to the animations, the Unreal Engine is a magnificent beast. Whats more notable is the Aftermath campaign, which will make your eyes bleed with awesome.

9. Multiplayer

Those with an Xbox Live account can go online with a new mode called OverRun. Where you play as the COG (good guys) or the Locust. You can play as a medic, soldier, engineer or a scout. So each side has objectives to complete, failing of which they are annhilated and the other team wins. There’s also a free for all, but they're mostly human versus human, without any locust. Both modes are fun, but Gears of War multiplayer veterans will miss the Hoarde mode.

10. Bottom Line

Gears of War Judgement is a very solid action game at heart, wrapped in a tired franchise that should be allowed to retire with dignity. Saved a bit by the signature Gears of War action and the addition of Aftermath. A perfect game if you are new to the franchise, or a Gears of War fan. The rest of you who believe Gears of War gave you closure after the 3, then move along.